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American Morning
Jackson in Court
Aired January 16, 2004 - 09:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: So what about that thinking, about Ben Brathman joining the legal team for Michael Jackson? We also have CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin standing by in Santa Maria.
Let me ask you, Jeffrey, about what Charles just said. Do you think this tactic is one that could work, just in case Geragos doesn't fare well in the Peterson trial?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: I think it's a good tactic, whether Geragos stays on the case or not. Oftentimes in high- profile cases, there are several bigtime lawyers. In the Sean Combs, the Puff Daddy case, Johnnie Cochran and Benjamin Brathman worked together very effectively. Of course everybody remembers the dream team from the O.J. Simpson case, with Cochran, Robert Shapiro, F. Lee Bailey and company. Sometimes lawyers have a hard time getting along. Sometimes they fight and create problems. Oftentimes, it is a situation of the more the merrier, and I bet that is the way it'll be here.
COLLINS: All right, so set the scene for us, if you would, Jeffrey. We know that at the arraignment today, Jackson is out on bail, so he won't show up in handcuffs. Are we expecting to hear really much of anything from him?
TOOBIN: Probably you'll hear two words from him, not guilty. He will enter a plea. In terms of what will actually go on at the arraignment, it will begin with an agreement for media attorneys with a plea for cameras in the courtroom. We expect that that will be denied for today. Although questions of the cameras in the court room progresses remains open.
There will be also a plea from the media to open the results of the search warrant. What did the government find when it searched Neverland? That issue will be discussed. And there will also be a serious discussion about whether a gag order will be in place. All of those issues will be probably dealt with preliminarily before Michael Jackson is asked to enter his plea, not guilty, and then the judge will start to set a schedule for how this case progresses.
COLLINS: Prosecution wants the gag order, defense does not. How come?
TOOBIN: Well, the defense, Mark Geragos, as all of us who work in cable TV know, he's a master of the press conference. He likes to hold press conferences. He feels that's how he gets his side of the story out. He wants to continue to be able do that. The prosecution wants to try to lower the temperature a little bit, keep the evidence in the courtroom. That -- those are really the agendas in place. You can be sure, gag order or not, this case is going to continue to get a lot of publicity.
COLLINS: All right, arraignment set to begin just over two hours from now. CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
Thanks so much, Jeffrey.
COLLINS: See ya, Heidi.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 16, 2004 - 09:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: So what about that thinking, about Ben Brathman joining the legal team for Michael Jackson? We also have CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin standing by in Santa Maria.
Let me ask you, Jeffrey, about what Charles just said. Do you think this tactic is one that could work, just in case Geragos doesn't fare well in the Peterson trial?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: I think it's a good tactic, whether Geragos stays on the case or not. Oftentimes in high- profile cases, there are several bigtime lawyers. In the Sean Combs, the Puff Daddy case, Johnnie Cochran and Benjamin Brathman worked together very effectively. Of course everybody remembers the dream team from the O.J. Simpson case, with Cochran, Robert Shapiro, F. Lee Bailey and company. Sometimes lawyers have a hard time getting along. Sometimes they fight and create problems. Oftentimes, it is a situation of the more the merrier, and I bet that is the way it'll be here.
COLLINS: All right, so set the scene for us, if you would, Jeffrey. We know that at the arraignment today, Jackson is out on bail, so he won't show up in handcuffs. Are we expecting to hear really much of anything from him?
TOOBIN: Probably you'll hear two words from him, not guilty. He will enter a plea. In terms of what will actually go on at the arraignment, it will begin with an agreement for media attorneys with a plea for cameras in the courtroom. We expect that that will be denied for today. Although questions of the cameras in the court room progresses remains open.
There will be also a plea from the media to open the results of the search warrant. What did the government find when it searched Neverland? That issue will be discussed. And there will also be a serious discussion about whether a gag order will be in place. All of those issues will be probably dealt with preliminarily before Michael Jackson is asked to enter his plea, not guilty, and then the judge will start to set a schedule for how this case progresses.
COLLINS: Prosecution wants the gag order, defense does not. How come?
TOOBIN: Well, the defense, Mark Geragos, as all of us who work in cable TV know, he's a master of the press conference. He likes to hold press conferences. He feels that's how he gets his side of the story out. He wants to continue to be able do that. The prosecution wants to try to lower the temperature a little bit, keep the evidence in the courtroom. That -- those are really the agendas in place. You can be sure, gag order or not, this case is going to continue to get a lot of publicity.
COLLINS: All right, arraignment set to begin just over two hours from now. CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
Thanks so much, Jeffrey.
COLLINS: See ya, Heidi.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
